Champions of Character Classic Live Blog
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We are all set and ready to roll here from the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College for the last four games of the annual Champions of Character Classic. The tournament features four great matchups featuring several top-level collegiate…
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Continue ReadingWe are all set and ready to roll here from the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College for the last four games of the annual Champions of Character Classic. The tournament features four great matchups featuring several top-level collegiate prospects. Follow along to our Prep Hoops Indiana Live Blog throughout the day for recaps following each game. It is going to be a great day of Indiana High School Basketball!
Concord 55, East Noble 26
Concord got off to an early 8-0 start with threes from Braeden Messenger and Lucas Prough Lucas Prough 6'0" | PG Concord | 2025 IN . However, after Prough picked up his first 2nd foul with 3:27 to go in the first quarter, East Noble went on a 9-0 run to take the lead at 9-8. The second quarter continued without much of a flow throughout. Several fouls back and forth, and at the half, East Noble had 15 points and 10 made free throws. Concord would lead at the break 20-15 despite just 2-14 shooting by East Noble. Owen Ritchie led all players with 9 points at the half, and Messenger has added 8 to lead Concord.
In the second half, Concord came out with a ton of energy, and it paid off. The Minutemen shot 8-14 in the third quarter and held East Noble to just 1-10 with 6 turnovers. Concord would win the quarter 18-3 and take a 38-18 lead into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was more of the same as Concord would cruise to a 55-26 victory. East Noble was exhausted following their Triple OT loss on Friday night, and they just had nothing left in the tank 17 hours later. The Knights shot just 4-30 from the floor.
Messenger would lead Concord with 14 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Davon Smith and Prough each added double figures with 11 and 10. Ritchie led East Noble with 10 points, and Owen Van Gessel Owen Van Gessel 6'2" | SG East Noble | 2024 IN would add 9 points.
Center Grove 55, Fort Wayne Snider 38
In the first quarter, Fort Wayne Snider came out of the gate hot at Qualyn Clopton Qualyn Clopton 6'2" | SG Fort Wayne Snider | 2025 State IN scored the first 5 for the Panthers to give them an early lead. Center Grove bounced back after a hot shooting quarter from Jalen Bundy Jalen Bundy 5'11" | PG Center Grove | 2024 State IN and Joey Schmitz Joey Schmitz 6'2" | PG Center Grove | 2024 State IN . The Trojans would lead 13-11 after one. Center Grove was able to take over in the second quarter as they ramped up their defensive pressure to force 10 first half turnovers. Snider would battle back and cut the lead to 3, but Marcus Ankney Marcus Ankney 6'3" | SG Center Grove | 2023 State IN would hit a three at the buzzer to give Center Grove a 27-21 lead at the half.
In the second half, both teams kept knocking down shots and getting to the rim, and although it felt like Center Grove was in control, Fort Wayne Snider kept knocking down timely shots to stay in it. Owen Baker would knock down a big three for the Trojans to give them a 12-point lead, and they would end the 3rd quarter leading 39-28. Center Grove opened the fourth quarter with a big throwdown by Ankney, and they were able to build the lead quickly up to 19 points. They would cruise in the fourth quarter to a 55-38 win to improve to 7-0 on the season.
Ankney, Schmitz, and Bundy were all in double figures for Center Grove with 19, 14, and 11. Qualyn Clopton Qualyn Clopton 6'2" | SG Fort Wayne Snider | 2025 State IN led Fort Wayne Snider with 10 points as the Panthers fall to 1-4 on the season.
Warsaw 65, South Bend St. Joseph 48
The first half of this one was back and forth with neither team able to take control. South Bend St. Joseph opened to a 9-2 lead with a hot start, but the Tigers were able to battle back by the end of the first quarter to make it 13-12. In the second quarter, Warsaw took the lead at 20-17, but Chase Konieczny Chase Konieczny 6'4" | SG South Bend Saint Joseph | 2025 State #277 Nation IN took over with 6 straight points. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds at the half as the Indians would lead it 23-22 at the break. Konieczny is just doing absolutely everything for South Bend St. Joseph. Jaxson Gould Jaxson Gould 6'3" | SG Warsaw | 2023 State IN was ice cold early for Warsaw shooting just 1-8 in the first half
In the third quarter, the Tigers heated up with a 20-point quarter as they were able to grow their lead as big as 12 after a 9-0 run by Jaxson Gould Jaxson Gould 6'3" | SG Warsaw | 2023 State IN . Warsaw shot 9-11 in the third quarter and came up with 5 steals on the defensive end of the floor to help extend their lead to 42-32 at the end of the third. In the fourth, it was more of the same for the Tigers who just did everything they needed to in order to keep SBSJ at bay. The Indians were able to go on an 11-4 run late in the quarter to cut the lead to 7 with 1:45 remaining. The Tigers would answer by scoring 10 straight points to get the lead back to 17 for a 65-48 victory.
Drew Heckaman unofficially led Warsaw with 19 points in the win. Other scorers included Gould with 13 points, most of which came in the big run to put Warsaw in control. Luke Yeager Luke Yeager 6'8" | C Warsaw | 2024 State IN also added 10 points in the paint for the Tigers. Konieczny was the main contributor with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Brashaun Woods was also in double figures with 11.
Fort Wayne Blackhawk 70, Chesterton 68
The final game was no doubt the game of the day on paper with the defending 4A state runners-up taking on the #4 team in 2A. It was an inside vs outside battle early on as FW Blackhawk was getting some easy buckets in the lane while Chesterton was draining threes. The Braves dominated the glass with 5 offensive rebounds and a 10-3 rebound advantage, and they would lead 18-17 after one. In the second quarter, it was more of the same with both teams running great offense on both ends of the floor.
In the second half, it was more of the same high-powered offense, but Blackhawk was able to knock down their first two threes of the game by Isaac Smith and Kellen Pickett Kellen Pickett 6'9" | PF Blackhawk Christian | 2025 State #108 Nation IN to give Blackhawk a 3-point lead. The three would heat Pickett up as he would score a couple of buckets at the rim, and Gage Sefton Gage Sefton 6'4" | SG Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN then scored inside to extend the lead to 7, the largest lead of the game. However, with a minute to go in the quarter, Sefton picked up his fourth foul which caused him to go to the bench. The Trojans were able to cut into the lead including a putback at the buzzer by Sean Kasper to cut the lead to 1. Fort Wayne Blackhawk would lead 47-46 after 3.
In the fourth quarter, Smith hit another big three to get the lead to 4. However, Justin Sims Justin Sims 6'6" | PF Chesterton | 2024 State IN answered with an and-one that included Pickett picking up his fourth foul as well. Foul trouble was becoming an issue for Braves’ 6-man rotation. Tyler Parrish Tyler Parrish 6'3" | SG Chesterton | 2024 State IN would then get another and-one to give Chesterton back the lead at 54-52 with 5 minutes remaining. Josh Furst Josh Furst 6'6" | C Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN then answered with back-to-back buckets to put Blackhawk back on top by 2. Meanwhile, both of the Chesterton post players, Justin Sims Justin Sims 6'6" | PF Chesterton | 2024 State IN and Nick Furmanek, fouled out for Chesterton with 3 minutes to go in the game.
Furst hit two free throws and then scored against inside to get the lead up to 3, but Chesterton answered with an and-one by George Vrahoratis to tie the game. Pickett also fouled out on the and-one. Furst scored again to take a 2-point lead with 49 seconds to go which gave Chesterton a chance to tie or take the lead. After a miss by the Trojans, Sefton hit two more free throws and Tyler Parrish Tyler Parrish 6'3" | SG Chesterton | 2024 State IN went the length of the court to cut it back to 2 with 11.8 seconds to go. After a missed free throw, Chesterton had a chance to win it, but the last shot hit off the front of the rim as Fort Wayne Blackhawk held on for a tough 70-68 win.
Furst scores 25 points and grabs 10 rebounds. He was huge in the 4th quarter scoring 12 of his 25. Sefton added 20 points and 5 rebounds. Pickett also added 11. For Chesterton, Parrish led the way with 25 points and 3 assists. Vrahoratis added 18 points and 4 rebounds, and Sims added 11 points and 4 rebounds.